High interleukin‐13 production by phytohaemagglutinin‐ and Der p 1‐stimulated cord blood mononuclear cells is associated with the subsequent development of atopic dermatitis at the age of 3 years

Summary Objective The aim of our study was to conduct a prospective investigation into the potential association of cord blood proliferative response and cytokine production in response to various stimuli on the development of atopic dermatitis (AD) at the age of 3 years. Methods Cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMC) from 40 healthy term neonates were isolated. The proliferative response of CBMC stimulated with IL‐2, betalactoglobulin (BLG) and house dust mite allergen (Der p 1) was assessed by liquid scintillation counting and the stimulation index (SI) was calculated. The cytokines interleukin (IL‐)13, interferon (IFN‐)γ, IL‐10 and IL‐18 in the cell culture supernatants in response to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), Der p 1 and BLG were measured using the ELISA technique. After 3 years, symptoms of AD were obtained with a questionnaire completed by the parents. Results We observed significantly higher IL‐13 levels in response to PHA in children who subsequently developed symptoms of AD (S: median, 291 pg/mL) compared with asymptomatic children (No‐S: 149 pg/mL; P =0.021, Wilcoxon test). Similarly, in response to Der p 1 significantly higher IL‐13 levels were observed in symptomatic children (S: 168.6; No‐S: 61.6 pg/mL; P =0.0084). In response to BLG, IL‐13 levels were 287.2 (S) and 123.6 pg/mL (No‐S; P =0.19). No significant differences were found when comparing the IFN‐γ levels in CBMC cultures stimulated with PHA (S: 10.2; No‐S: 17.6 IU/L; P =0.78), Der p 1 (S: 307.6; No‐S: 616.2 IU/L; P =0.2) or BLG (S: 18; No‐S: 28.5 IU/L; P =0.83; Fig. 2 ). The IL‐18 and IL‐10 levels and the stimulation index in response to IL‐2, BLG and Der p 1 showed no significant difference between children who subsequently developed symptoms of AD and asymptomatic children. Release of interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ) in response to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), house dust mite allergen (Der p 1) and betalactoglobulin (BLG) in children who developed symptoms of atopic dermatitis at the age of 3 years (‘symptomatic’) and asymptomatic children. The median value and the 5th and 95th percentile are presented. Differences between the groups were calculated with the Wilcoxon test and P ‐values are reported. image Conclusion Our data suggest that enhanced IL‐13 levels at birth are associated with the subsequent development of atopic symptoms at the age of 3 years.